It’s HOT out there, readers! And when it’s hot, we run our air conditioning and our fans. And when we all do that at once, we have power outages. And when we have power outages, we can’t watch TV, make microwave popcorn, or play computer games. We have to go OFF THE GRID and find other ways to entertain ourselves!

In fact, we had a power outage in Irvine just the other day. Now before we have another one (remember, we still have at least two months of REALLY HOT WEATHER), head over to the ALI thrift shop and get prepared! It’s HOT out there, readers! And when it’s hot, we run our air conditioning and our fans. And when we all do that at once, we have power outages. And when we have power outages, we can’t watch TV, make microwave popcorn, or play computer games. We have to go OFF THE GRID and find other ways to entertain ourselves!

With no TV, you need puzzles and board games you can play by flashlight or candlelight (and we know you have flashlights and candles that you bought for earthquake preparedness, right?). And you can always read a book by flashlight – just like you did when you were a kid who was supposed to be asleep!

Pick up some of our plastic margarita glasses or plastic tumblers. You’ll need to use up the ice, milk, and juice in your refrigerator, and the plastic glasses won’t break if you accidentally knock them on the floor in the dark.

Buy some flip-flops from our shoe section, because it’ll be too hot to wear shoes.

Get a supply of tank tops and shorts in case the power goes out for several days and you can’t do laundry.

We always have a selection of water bottles – and you’ll need one to keep you cool.

Last but not least – take home a few DVDs from our vast collection, and hide them away to reward yourself with a “movie night” when the power comes back on!

Do you have the kitchen blahs? Do you leave your dirty dishes sitting on the counter for days because, well, you’re tired of looking at those counters? Find yourself gazing wistfully at pictures of exotic appliances on Pinterest? Dream about a kitchen remodel?

Perhaps because we spend so much time in them, kitchens are the most popular remodeling project. But they’re not cheap! The 2014 U.S. Cost v. Value Report shows the average cost of a high-end kitchen remodel is now $62,183! In some parts of the country, you could buy a whole HOUSE for that!

For those of us who are tired of our kitchens but don’t have $62,000 lying around, we have a solution. Don’t change your kitchen – just change your dishes! Serving meals on a brand-new (to you) set of china is an affordable way to cope with the kitchen blahs. And right now at the ALI thrift shop, we have an AMAZING selection of china, with many complete or nearly-complete sets. The prices are too varied to list here, but DEFINITELY less than $62,000. Come in and see for yourself! “Grand Buffet” by Charter Club: 12 white plates edged in gold (these would be a great buy for your holiday entertaining).